Poise helped Hurts to faceoff with Tigers

TAMPA — Jalen Hurts hears the criticism. Not the jabs coming from fans on message boards or on social media. No, this criticism comes from deep within himself.

“I have a high standard for myself,” Hurts said. “I expect more out of myself than anyone else will.”

Alabama’s dynamic freshman quarterback is his own harshest critic, unwilling to accept mediocrity over excellence.

“I hate seeing the little mistakes and little critical things that I know can be fixed, but things that I can control,” he said. “If I can control it, I want to have it right down pat so it’ll never happen again.”

After putting together one of the most productive seasons in Alabama history and earning SEC Player of the Year honors, Hurts struggled in his first postseason showdown: a 24-7 win over fourth-ranked Washington in the Peach Bowl semifinal.

He had a season-low 107 yards of total offense and a dismal 3.24 yards per play. But when asked about the performance, Hurts quickly dismissed any concerns.

“I’m not the type to dwell on the past. That’s over with,” he said. “My job is to execute. That’s what I’m going to do. Doesn’t matter what the stats come out to be. If I’m 7 of 14 on Monday and have 57 yards and we still win, who cares, right?”

But does coming off his worst statistical performance of the season force him to change his preparation heading into Monday’s national championship showdown with Clemson?

“Jalen Hurts is going to be Jalen Hurts. Jalen Hurts is going to do what he’s done all year as far as preparation and mindset and all that,” he said. “I’m fine. Just gotta play. The dice don’t always roll the way you want. You gotta go play.”

It’s the sort of response one would expect from a veteran quarterback, not from an 18-year-old early enrollee. It’s what’s impressed his teammates and coaches the most.

“When he does have a bad play or make a mistake, it doesn’t affect him for the next three or four plays,” coach Nick Saban said this week of his star player. “There hasn’t been many times this year when he actually gets a little rattled, and I think that’s the thing that’s been very helpful to his consistency as a player regardless of where we’ve played or what the stage has been.”

And no play best represents that assessment than his first collegiate snap.

During the Crimson Tide’s season opener against USC four months ago, Hurts came into the game late in the first quarter and proceeded to fumble away the football his first time under center — a botched zone-read handoff to Damien Harris.

Hurts would bounce back scoring four touchdowns as Alabama romped 52-6.

His teammates say that demeanor and poise are the main reasons Alabama will be playing for a national title tonight.

“He’s had his ups and downs — it’s his freshman year he’s what 18-years old — it’s expected of him … but it’s the way he responds to those ups and downs which really keeps him in the position that he’s in,” sophomore running back Damien Harris said. “He always responds in a positive manner and he continues to put us in the best position to win.”

It’s an attitude that Hurts will need to carry into Monday night when he faces a Tigers defense that is coming off an impressive 31-0 shutout of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl and is ranked eighth in the nation in total defense.

“You can’t let the stage change who you are or what you’ve done,” Hurts said. “I’m just being myself.”

BUTCH DILL/AP Alabama QB Jalen Hurts had a season-low 107 yards of total offense and a dismal 3.24 yards per play against Washington.